U.S. Marine Corps orders new thermal sights for its Amphibious Assault Vehicles

The U.S. Marine Corps has awarded the L-3 Communications Cincinnati Electronics Corporation a contract for M36E-T1 Thermal Sight Systems.

The contract award from Marine Corps Systems Command enables the company to deliver up to 163 M36E-T1 Thermal Sight Systems, spares, special tools and test equipment, new equipment training and manuals, M36E-3 conversions, associated non-recurring engineering and assault amphibious vehicle filter windows.

The contract, announced Wednesday by the Department of Defense, is worth more than $37 million.

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The upgraded M36E3 Thermal Sight System is designed to improve the U.S. Marine Corps’s AAV7 “Amtracs” amphibious vehicles. The new AAV day-night sight provides daylight as well as nighttime sighting ability to detect targets to 4,000 meters, recognize targets to 2,500 meters, identify targets at 700 meters.

The base version of the M36E3 sight provides the gunner with a 7-power sight with a reticle calibrated for the M2 and MK-19. The sight is laser protected against enemy lasers.

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